Part 20 (2/2)
”It's false! A cowardly lie!” cried Dallas at last, as he tried to shake himself free.
”Quiet!” cried one of his captors fiercely, ”or you'll git into trouble!”
”Yes, a lie--a lie!” cried Abel, finding his voice. ”Don't choke me, sir. Give a man fair play.”
”Oh, yes, you shall have fair play,” said another sternly.
”Those men attacked and tried to murder us both yonder in the snowy pa.s.s.”
”Well! I ham!” roared the red-bearded scoundrel, looking round protestingly at all present. ”But there, I've done.”
He dropped heavily back in his seat, and held up his hands to his two companions.
”That's a queer way of defending yourself, young fellow,” said a stern, square-looking man, who spoke roughly, but in a way that suggested education.
”Yes, but it's the truth,” cried Dallas firmly. ”Hands off, gentlemen.
We shall not try to run away.”
”Now, then: these three gentlemen say they have been robbed on the road.”
”And I say it is false. That man is a liar and a thief--a would-be murderer.”
”Well,” cried the red-bearded man again. ”Did you ever, mates?”
”No,” cried one of the others. ”Why, he talks like a play actor.”
”Look here, gentlemen,” cried the third excitedly, and he rose, planted a foot on the bench, and bared his bound-up leg, ”here's that tall un's shot as went through my calf here. I'm as lame as a broken-kneed un.”
A murmur of sympathy ran through the place, and Dallas spoke out again as Abel looked quietly round at the grim faces lowering through the smoke.
”Look here, gentlemen, I can prove my words,” cried Dallas.
”Very well, then,” said the dark, square-looking man, ”prove them; you shall not be condemned unheard.”
A chill ran through the young man at the other's judicial tone, and the name of Judge Lynch rose to his mind. But he spoke out firmly.
”A friend who has journeyed here with me is to meet me here to-night.-- Ah, here is one gentleman who knows us;” and he made a step towards their bluff acquaintance of that evening, who had risen from his seat farther in, and was looking frowningly on. ”Speak a word for us, sir.”
”Well, my lad, I never saw you till to-night,” was the reply. ”I did have a chat with this man, gentlemen, and his mate there, and I found them well-spoken young fellows as ever I met.”
”But you never saw them before,” said the dark man.
”Well, I must tell the truth,” said the gold-finder.
”Of course.”
”No,” said the man sadly, ”I never did but fair play, gentlemen, please.”
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